Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson each had a goal and an assist for the Buffalo Sabers in a 3-2 win over the host Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Zach Benson scored and Alex Lyon made 30 saves for the Sabres, who have won two in a row and earned their first regulation road victory. Buffalo played without winger Alex Tuch, who was scratched due to illness.
Kiefer Sherwood and Max Sasson scored for the Canucks, who have lost nine of their last 11 games (2-8-1). Thatcher Demko made 12 saves in his return after missing 12 games due to injury.
Dahlin gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 7:36 of the first period. Ryan McLeod backhanded the puck behind him onto the backboards, collected it near the left corner and sent a pass to a wide-open Dahlin in the high slot for a one-timer that beat Demko’s glove side.
Sherwood tied it 1-1 on the power play with 11 seconds left in the frame. Conor Garland collected a rebound in front for an attempt that was blocked, and Sherwood then knocked the loose puck off the skate of Buffalo defenseman Conor Timmins and under Lyon’s pads to tie the game 1-1.
Sasson gave the Canucks a 2-1 lead at 6:15 of the second period on their first shot of the second period. With open space between the two Sabers defenders, Sasson carried the puck to the center of the zone with speed and fired a snapshot under Lyon’s right pad.
Thompson scored for a third straight game to tie the game 2-2. Dahlin intercepted a Canucks clearing attempt along the right wall and sent a centering pass to Thompson over the slot, where we waited a brief second before firing a wrist shot inside the left post at 9:12.
Benson’s first goal of the season gave Buffalo a 3-2 lead on the power play at 14:46. Josh Doan received a pass from Thompson at the goal line and quickly distributed it to Benson, who clocked it from the inside side of the left circle.
–Field level media
